722 


SMITH 


FISHES  OF 
YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK 


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DEPARTMENT  OF  COMMERCE 
BUREAU  OF  FISHERIES 

HUGH  M.  SMITH,  CommUsioner 


FISHES  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL 

PARK 

With  Description  of  the  Park  Waters 
and  Notes  on  Fishing 

Ey  HUGH  M,  SMITH  and  WILLIAM  C,  KENDALL 


APPENDIX  III  TO  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  U.  S.  COMMISSIONER 
OF  FISHERIES  FOR  1921 


Bureau  of  Fisheries  Document  No,  904 


PRICE,  5  CENTS 

Id  oaly  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Government  Printing  Office 
Washington,  D.  C. 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1921 


DEPARTMENT  OF  COMMERCE 

BUREAU  OF  FISHERIES 

HUGH  M.  SMITH,  Commissioner 


FISHES  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL 

PARK 

With  Description  of  the  Park  Waters 
and  Notes  on  Fishing 

By  HUGH  M.  SMITH  and  WILLIAM  C.  KENDALL 


APPENDIX  III  TO  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  U.  S.  COMMISSIONER 
OF  FISHERIES  FOR  1921 


Bureau  of  Fisheries  Document  No.  904 


PRICE,  5  CENTS 

Sold  only  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Government  Printing  Ofl&ce 

Washington,  D.  C. 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1921 


Miff  9  g  ^ 


p. 


FISHES  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARKJ 

With  Description  of  the  Park  Waters  and  Notes  on  Fishing. 


By  Hugh  M.  Smith  and  William  ('.  Kendall. 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introduction 3 

Indigenous  fishes 4 

Introduced  fishes 5 

Fish  culture  in  the  park 5 

Principal  fishing  waters 7 

Fishing  regulations : 16 

List  of  fishes 16 

1.  Montana  grayling 16 

2.  Rocky  Mountain  whitefish 17 

3.  Red  throat  trout;  cutthroat  trout;  blackspotted  trout 18 

4.  Rainbow  trout 21 

5.  Scotch  lake  trout;  Loch  Leven  trout 22 

6.  European  brown  trout;  Von  Behr  trout 23 

7.  Lake  trout;  Mackinaw  trout 24 

8.  Eastern  brook  trout ;  speckled  trout 26 

9.  Yellow  perch 27 

10.  Blob 28 

11 .  Longnose  sucker 28 

12.  Rosyside  sucker 29 

13.  Chub.. 29 

14.  Silverside  minnow 30 

15.  Longnose  dace 30 

16.  Dusky  dace 30 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  fishes  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  constitute  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  noteworthy  attractions  of  that  wonderland. 
The  special  appeal  which  the  fishes  make  to  the  park  visitors  comes 
partly  from  the  beauty,  gameness,  and  variety  of  the  fishes,  and 
partly  from  the  inspiring  environment  in  which  fishing  may  be  done. 
Among  the  wild,  backboned  animals  in  the  park  the  fishes  are  the 
only  ones  whose  killing  is  allowed  and  encouraged  by  the  park 
authorities.  The  greatly  increased  number  of  visitors  to  the  park 
in  recent  years  has  brought  the  fishes  into  unusual  prominence  and 
necessitates  renewed  efforts  to  maintain  the  supply  by  means  of 
artificial  propagation  and  protection. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  little  document  relating  to  fishes  and  fishing 
may  serve  a  useful  purpose  beyond  merely  furnishing  information 
for  anglers.  Increased  knowledge  of  the  park  fishes  should  have  the 
effect  of  increasing  the  public  appreciation  of  the  extraordinary 
opportunity  for  healthful  recreation  that  the  park  affords,  and  at 

1  Appendix  III  to  the  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Fisheries  for  1921.    B.  F.  Doc.  904. 

3 


4  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

(ho  same  time  should  discourage  unnecessary  destruction  of  fish  life 
and  develop  a  spirit  of  cooperation  with  the  Government  agencies 
that  are  striving  to  maintain  the  fish  supply. 

The  present  report  is  a  revised  and  amplified  edition  of  the  one 
published  by  the  Bureau  of  Fisheries  in  1915.^  The  exhaustion  of 
the  supply  of  that  document  and  the  continued  public  demand  for 
information  on  this  subject,  together  with  the  availability  of  new 
data  on  the  fishes,  make  this  publication  desirable. 

INDIGENOUS  FISHES. 

The  native  fish  life  of  the  park  was  profoundly  affected  by  the  great 
lava  flow  which  occurred  over  a  large  part  of  the  park  in  Pliocene 
times.  Whatever  fishes  were  then  present  were  necessarily  killed, 
and,  with  the  reestablishment  of  the  watercourses  after  the  cooling 
of  the  surface  of  the  lava,  fishes  in  outside  waters  were  to  a  great 
extent  prevented  from  reaching  the  lofty  plateau,  which  comprises 
most  of  the  area  of  the  park,  by  the  high  and  steep  falls  over  which 
the  streams  leave  the  lava  beds. 

It  thus  follows  that  the  native  fish  fauna  of  the  park  is  very  limited. 
Except  in  Yellowstone  River  and  its  tributaries  practically  no  fishes 
occur  naturally  above  the  falls,  and  in  the  extensive  basin  of  that 
river  the  few  species  that  do  exist  gained  access  to  the  region  above 
the  falls  because  of  the  imperfect  watershed  separating  the  Yellow- 
stone and  the  Snake  River  basins. 

The  original  comparative  barrenness  of  the  park  in  fish  life  was  due 
entirely  to  topographical  conditions.  The  physical  character  of 
the  waters  is,  in  general,  highly  favorable  for  fishes,  and  an  examina- 
tion of  the  streams  and  lakes  of  the  park  by  Prof.  Forbes  in  1890^ 
disclosed  the  presence  in  certain  barren  waters  of  an  abundant  in- 
sect and  crustacean  food  well  suited  for  sustaining  certain  kinds  of 
fishes.  The  theory  that  would  account  for  the  original  absence  of 
fishes  in  particular  park  waters  as  due  to  the  high  temperature  and 
chemical  constituents  of  the  great  volumes  of  water  flowing  from  the 

feysers  and  hot  springs  is  entirely  untenable  for  several  reasons: 
'irst,  native  trout  abound  and  flourish  in  various  streams  and  lakes 
in  close  proximity  to  the  outpourings  of  geysers  and  hot  springs,  and, 
secondly,  both  native  and  exotic  trouts  have  been  successfully  planted 
in  barren  waters  receiving  the  discharge  of  geysers  and  hot  springs. 

The  fishes  of  natural  occurrence  in  the  park  represent  10  species, 
as  follows:  Longnose  sucker,  rosyside  sucker,  chub,  silverside  min- 
now, longnose  dace,  dusky  dace.  Rocky  Mountain  whitefish,  red- 
throat  trout,  Montana  grayling,  and  bloD.  Of  these  only  the  trout 
and  the  grayling  have  generally  been  recognized  as  game  fishes, 
although  the  whitefish  might  properly  be  so  considered.  While  these 
were  very  abundant  in  certain  waters,  the  annually  increasing  num- 
bers of  angler- tourists  in  the  park  made  it  desirable  to  augment  the 
natural  supply  of  game  fishes  by  the  introduction  into  barren  waters 
of  selected  species  of  other  game  fishes. 

2  The  fishes  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  By  William  C.  Kendall.  Bureau  of  Fisheries  Document 
No.  818.    1915. 

«  A  preliminary  report  on  the  aquatic  invertebrate  fauna  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  Wyo.,  and 
the  Flathead  region  of  Montana.  By  S.  A.  Forbes.  Bulletin  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  vol.  xi,  for  1891, 
p.  207-258,  pi.  Xxxvn-XLU.    1893. 


FISHES    OF    THE    YEEEOWSTOJSJE    WATIOI^AE    PARK.  5 

INTRODUCED  FISHES. 

In  immediate  response  to  ttie  outcome  of  investigations  to  deter- 
mine the  suitability  of  Ashless  park  waters  for  game  fishes,  the  Bureau 
of  Fisheries  in  1889  inaugurated  the  planting  of  selected  species  in 
predetermined  waters,  and  this  work  has  been  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  The  one  species  of  native  trout  was  soon  supplemented 
by  the  very  successful  introduction  of  five  other  trouts,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  park  became  an  angler's  paradise,  affording  better  and  more 
varied  trout  fishing  than  could  be  lound  anywhere  else  in  the  country, 
if  not  in  the  world. 

The  nonindigenous  trouts  that  have  been  introduced  into  park 
waters  are  the  rainbow,  Loch  Leven,  brown,  lake,  and  eastern  brook 
trouts,  all  of  which  have  become  firmly  established.  The  distribu- 
tion of  the  native  redthroat  trout  has  been  greatly  extended  into 
previously  barren  waters.  The  introduction  of  two  other  game 
fishes  has  been  attempted,  but  apparently  without  positive  results. 
One  of  these  is  the  landlocked  salmon  (Satmo  sehago),  of  which  7,000 
fry  were  planted  in  Yellowstone  Lake  and  2,000  in  Duck  Lake  in 
1908,  but  not  a  vestige  of  these  plants  has  ever  been  seen.  The  other 
species  is  the  largemouth  black  bass  (Micropterus  salmoides),  of 
which  500  fingerlings  were  planted  in  ''lakes  in  Yellowstone  National 
Park,"  according  to  the  indefinite  official  record.  These  lakes  are 
thought  to  have  been  Feather  Lake  and  Goose  Lake,  in  the  Lower 
Geyser  Basin.  An  earlier  plant  of  250  black  bass  was  made  in  the 
Gibbon  Kiver,  in  1893,  but  it  is  not  known  which  of  the  two  species 
of  black  bass  composed  this  j)lant.  There  is  no  evidence  of  the 
survival  of  black  bass  anywhere  in  the  park,  and  this  may  be  regarded 
as  a  fortunate  circumstance.  In  om*  opinion,  there  should  be  no 
further  attempts  to  establish  black  bass  m  the  park,  as  they  do  not 
harmonize  with  the  trouts,  and  their  predatory  habits  make  them 
unsafe  species  to  introduce  among  the  soft-finned  fishes  which,  with 
two  minor  exceptions,  constitute  the  local  fauna.  The  only  other 
species  of  fish  that  has  been  introduced  into  park  waters  is  the  yellow 
perch,  whose  planting  was  unofficial  and  is  apparently  to  be  ascribed 
to  the  unauthorized  act  of  a  private  individual.  This  fish  now 
abounds  in  certain  lakes  in  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin. 

FISH  CULTURE  IN  THE  PARK. 

The  hundreds  of  thousands  of  visitors  who  have  already  been  in 
the  park  and  the  millions  of  others  who  are  destined  to  visit  it  owe 
to  fish  culture  and  fish  acclimatization  a  debt  whose  value  can  hardly 
be  estimated.  Within  a  few  years  after  experienced  fish-culturists 
began  to  give  attention  to  needs  of  the  park  the  hitherto  fishless 
waters  began  to  produce  desirable  game  fish  in  abundance,  and  this 
has  continued  up  to  the  present  time.  The  early  work,  as  well  as  the 
efforts  of  the  fish-culturists  of  late,  has  been  directed  mostly  to 
maintaining  the  supply  of  fishes  already  established. 

For  many  years  the  Bureau  of  Fisheries  has  conducted  fish- 
hatching  operations  in  the  park.  The  first  hatchery  was  located  at 
the  Thumb  of  Yellowstone  Lake;  the  principal  hatchery  now  is  on 
the  lake  shore  near  the  Lake  Hotel.  In  1921  a  permanent  hatchery 
was  erected  on  Soda  Butte  Creek,  which  had  been  the  site  of  a  field 


6  U.    S.   BUREAU    OF    FISHERIES. 

hatchery  for  a  number  of  years.  The  hatcheries  are  maintained,  pri- 
marily, for  the  purpose  of  keeping  up  tiie  supply  of  rcdthroat  trout. 

The  redthroat  trout  is  the  only  local  trout  which  spawns  during 
the  season  when  the  park  is  easily  accessible  and  when  it  is  possible 
without  unwarranted  effort  and  expense  to  obtain  a  supply  of  run- 
ning water  for  hatching  purposes.  The  adult  fish  begin  to  ascend 
the  streams  that  are  put  into  flood  by  the  melting  snows  and  they 
continue  to  run  imtil  the  latter  part  of  July.  Some  fish,  however, 
doubtless  spawn  also  in  Yellowstone  Lake  and  other  large  lakes. 

The  principal  supply  of  eg^s  for  hatching  purposes  comes  from 
creeks  on  the  eastern  side  of  Yellowstone  Lake.  Into  these  creeks 
the  trout  run  at  spawning  time  and  across  them  the  fish-culturists 
erect  intercepting  barricades  or  racks.  These  racks  are  provided 
with  narrow  passageways  that  lead  into  traps  in  which  the  fish 
congregate.  The  trout  are  transferred  to  live  cars,  where  they  are 
held  pending  the  ripening  of  their  eggs.  At  the  proper  time  the  eggs 
are  stripped  from  the  fish  and  held  at  improvised  field  hatcheries 
pending  shipment  to  the  central  station.  The  adult  fish  are  released 
alive. 

The  questions  naturally  arise.  Why  not  let  the  trout  run  up  the 
creeks  and  spawn  naturally  ?  Why  not  permit  the  eggs  to  hatch  in 
the  manner  intended  by  nature  and  let  the  young  remain  for  awhile 
in  the  water  where  they  were  born  and  then  run  back  to  the  lake  at 
the  proper  time  ?  These  questions,  which  will,  no  doubt,  be  asked 
by  many  thoughtful  park  visitors,  afford  an  opportunity  to  indicate 
one  way  in  which  it  is  possible  to  improve  on  nature  and  to  point  out 
why  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  as  elsewhere,  it  is  desirable 
or  necessary  for  the  fish-culturist  to  go  to  nature's  assistance. 

The  streams  in  which  the  redthroat  trout  spawn  are  usually  much 
swollen  at  the  time  of  the  run.  Pushing  upstream  energetically, 
the  fish  often  go  far  from  the  lake  and  deposit  their  spawn  during 
high  water  in  places  which  later,  with  the  complete  melting  of  the 
snow,  may  become  exposed  to  the  air.  Heavy  losses  of  eggs  occur 
in  this  way.  If  conditions  are  favorable  for  the  laying  and  hatching 
of  the  eggs  in  streams  that  may  be  raging  torrents  in  spring  and 
early  summer,  it  frequently  happens  that  by  July  and  August  such 
streams  become  almost  dry,  are  cut  off  from  the  lake  and  reduced 
to  disconnected  pools,  and  the  young  fish  necessarily  perish  sooner 
or  later. 

The  adverse  conditions  occurring  in  nature  make  it  probable 
that  at  best  only  5  or  10  per  cent  of  the  eggs  produce  fry  that  reach 
the  feeding  stage  at  which  the  hatchery  turns  the  fish  loose.  On 
the  other  hand,  fully  90  per  cent  of  the  eggs  taken  by  artificial 
methods  are  safely  incubated  and  yield  fry  that  are  liberated  in 
selected  places — along  the  lake  shore  or  near  the  mouths  of  open 
creeks  where  there  is  a  good  prospect  of  survival. 

There  are  still  a  few  fishless  waters  in  the  park,  but  each  season 
additional  lakes  and  streams  are  stocked  and  ultimately  all  waters 
suitable  for  fish  will  have  received  attention.  In  1919  Mallard 
Lake,  a  beautiful  mountain  gem  not  far  from  Old  Faithful  Inn,  was 
found  to  be  fishless  and  was  planted  with  eastern  brook  trout.  This 
seems  destined  to  become  a  favorite  angler's  resort.     Other  waters 


FISHES   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL  PARK.  7 

recently  stocked  with  redthroat  trout  for  the  first  time  are  various 
lakes  in  the  southwest  section  of  the  park. 

PRINCIPAL  FISHING  WATERS. 

The  fishing  season  in  the  park  does  not  ordinarily  be^in  before 
July,  by  which  time,  according  to  one  of  the  angling  writers  here- 
after cited,  ''the  plethora  of  water  has  disappeared  and  the  streams 
flow  swift,  clear,  and  cold.  At  this  season  of  the  year  trout  fishing 
is  at  its  best.^' 

Information  regarding  the  fishing  in  various  localities  may  be 
found  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  superintendent  of  the  park, 
particularly  the  report  for  1897,  and  in  the  annual  circulars  of  in- 
formation issued  by  the  National  Park  Service.  The  following 
publications  pertaining  wholly  or  partly  to  fishing  in  the  park  may 
be  consulted  for  detailed  or  special  data: 

Fish  in  the  National  Park  and  tributaries  of  Snake  River.  By  J.  E.  Curtis.  Bul- 
letin U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  vol.  iv,  for  1884,  p.  335-336. 

A  reconnoissance  of  the  streams  and  lakes  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  Wyo., 
in  the  interest  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission.  By  David  Starr  .Jordan. 
Bulletin  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  vol.  ix,  for  1899,  p.  41-63,  with  map  and  many 


A  reconnoissance  of  the  streams  and  lakes  of  western  Montana  and  northwestern 
Wyoming.  By  Barton  W.  Evermann.  Bulletin  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  vol.  xi, 
for  1891,  p.  3-60,  with  plates  and  maps. 

A  woman's  trout  fishing  in  Yellowstone  Park.  By  Mary  Trowbridge  Townsend. 
Outing,  vol.  XXX,  no.  2,  May,  1897,  p.  163-164.. 

A  list  of  the  fishes  of  Montana,  with  notes  on  the  game  fishes.  By  James  A.  Hen- 
shall.    Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Montana,  No.  34,  Biological  series  no.  11.     1906. 

Wyoming  summer  fishing  and  the  Yellowstone  Park.  Bv  Kalph  E.  Clark.  Out- 
ing, vol.  LH,  no.  4,  July,  1908,  p.  508-511. 

Fly  fishing  in  wonderland.     By  Klahow\^a  (O.  P.  Barnes).     56  p.    1910. 

The  Yellowstone  National  Park.  By  Hiram  Martin  Chittenden.  Fishes,  p.  210- 
212.     1915. 

The  following  annotated  list  of  park  fishing  waters  is  based  partly 
on  information  kindly  furnished  by  Col.  L.  M.  Brett,  United  States 
Army,  formerly  acting  superintendent  of  the  park;  partly  on  notes 
taken  from  the  works  before  cited;  partly  on  observations  by  A.  H. 
Dinsmore,  of  the  Bureau  of  Fisheries,  in  1919  and  1920;  and  partly 
on  the  senior  author's  observations  in  1914  and  1919. 

YELLOWSTONE    LAKE. 

Yellowstone  Lake  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  in  the  world. 
It  and  some  of  the  tributary  creeks  abound  with  the  native  or  red- 
throat  trout.  There  appear  to  be  no  other  game  species  in  the  lake. 
Landlocked  salmon  planted  in  1908  and  1909  have  not  been  seen 
since.  The  rainbow  trout,  planted  at  the  same  time  in  some  of  the 
affluents,  have  shown  no  evidence  of  establishment,  excepting  on  the 
statement  of  Mr.  Croley,  a  hotel  fisherman  for  12  years,  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  seen  only  one  fish  other  than  the  blackspotted  trout. 
This  fish  ''looked  different  and  had  a  broad  side  band"  and  was 
thought  to  be  a  rainbow. 

In  1919  the  senior  author  found  the  water  of  Flat  Mountain  Arm, 
though  shallow,  distinctly  colder  than  in  the  lake,  evidently  owing 
to  the  inflow  of  springs  and  the  creek  at  its  head.     Near  the  head  of 


8  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

this  arm  he  found  the  largest  redthroat  trout  met  with  in  the  park, 
fine,  clean,  trim,  vigorous  fellows,  not  like  those  observed  elsewnere. 
All  suitable  tributary  creeks  contain  redthroat  trout.  The  most 
notable  creeks  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  enumerated  from  north  to 
south,  are:  Pelican,  Cub,  Clear,  Columbine,  and  Beaverdam  Creeks. 
All  contain  native  trout.  Sylvan  Lake,  which  discharges  through 
Clear  Creek  in  times  of  high  water,  contains  a  few  trout.  It  is  a 
beautiful  mountain  lake,  clear  and  moderately  cold.  Ralph  E.  Clark 
said  of  Pelican  Creek : 

One  mile  east  of  Yellowstone  River  outlet  is  Pelican  stream,  which  rises  in  the  cold 
snows  of  the  mountains  and  empties  its  waters  into  the  lake.  Here  you  catch  quan- 
tities of  uncontaminated  trout,  large,  beautiful,  fat,  and  gamy,  as  free  from  worms 
as  the  fr-esh  cold  waters  they  swim  in  are  free  from  pollution. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  named  in  the  same  order,  are  Bridge 
Creek,  entering  Bridge  Bay;  Arnica  Creek,  an  affluent  of  the  north- 
west side  of  the  Thumb;  Solution  Creek,  a  small,  narrow  stream,  with 
lava  bottom  and  grassy  banks  bordered  with  willows,  the  outlet  of 
Riddle  Lake,  sometimes  going  dry.  Riddle  Lake,  so  called  because 
of  the  former  mystery  of  its  outlet,  is  a  clear  pond  of  roundish  outline, 
about  IJ  miles  in  diameter,  about  whose  outlet  are  numerous  lily 
pads  and  other  plants.  Its  shores  are  shallow,  and  its  bottom  is 
chiefly  of  lava  gravel.  The  temperature  is  about  50°  F.  Trout  are 
numerous. 

Near  West  Thumb  is  another  small,  deep-set  lake,  named  Duck 
Lake,  which  has  no  outlet.  It  formerly  contained  no  trout,  but  red- 
throat trout  and  landlocked  salmon  were  planted  in  it.  Redthroat 
trout  now  appear  to  be  abundant,  but  landlocked  salmon  have  never 
been  observed.  However,  the  senior  author  found  good-sized  Loch 
Leven  trout  common  in  1919. 

Grouse  and  Chipmunk  Creeks  enter  opposite  sides  of  the  southern 
end  of  the  South  Arm.  Besides  these  there  are  numerous  unnamed 
creeks,  some  of  which  go  dry  in  summer.  One,  however,  flowing  into 
Flat  Mountain  Arm,  was  found  by  the  senior  author  on  July  17,  1919, 
to  contain  more  water  than  many  of  the  other  creeks  around  the  lake, 
probably  never  going  dry.  A  creek  that  will  flow  as  did  this  one 
during  a  period  of  drought,  with  the  lake  level  one- third  lower  than 
ever  before  known,  must  be  permanent.  The  creek,  unnamed  on  the 
available  maps,  clear  and  cold,  with  beautiful  green,  grassy  banks 
with  trees  here  and  there,  meanders  to  an  extraordinary  degree 
through  a  broad,  open  valley,  flowing  over  a  gravelly  bed,  now  with 
riffles,  now  with  deep  holes,  making  a  charming  trout  brook.  At  its 
mouth  is  a  flat  mucn  frequented  by  elk.  This  creek  was  found  to 
contain  numerous  trout  of  season's  hatch;  some  3  to  5  inches  long 
of  the  previous  season;  and  older  fish  up  to  12  inches  in  length. 

YELLOWSTONE    RIVER   ABOVE   THE    LAKE. 

Above  the  lake  the  Yellowstone  River  winds  through  marshy 
meadows,  between  wooded  hills,  behind  which  are  the  rugged  peaks 
of  high  volcanic  mountains.  The  current  is  sluggish,  and,  according 
to  Mr.  Dinsmore,  the  fall  is  so  slight  that  it  would  be  a  comparatively 
easy  matter  in  times  of  ordinary  flow  to  travel  by  canoe  the  entire 
distance  from  the  lake  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  park. 


FISHES   OF    THE    YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK.  9 

The  principal  tributaries  of  this  portion  of  the  river  from  the  lake 
southward  on  the  left  are  Cabin,  Trappers,  Mountain,  Cliff,  Escarp- 
ment, and  Thoroughfare  Creeks.  On  the  other  side  in  the  same 
direction  are  Badger,  Phlox,  and  Lynx  Creeks.  Good  fishing  is  found 
in  the  river  and  in  the  creeks  high  up  where  they  meander  from  the 
mountains. 

YELLOWSTONE    RIVER    BELOW   THE    LAKE. 

Below  the  lake  to  the  upper  falls  there  is  no  great  descent,  and  the 
river  flows  for  about  15  miles  with  a  quiet  current.  Here  its  banks 
are  bordered  with  low  hills,  some  of  them  wooded,  others  forming 
open  pastures.  On  the  right  side  going  northward  the  principal 
creeks  are  Cotton  Grass  and  Sour  Creeks,  which  unite  to  discharge 
their  waters  into  the  Yellowstone  not  far  from  Alum  Creek  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river.  On  the  west  side  of  the  river  is  Trout 
Creek,  which  is  a  clear  stream,  with  grassy  banks  and  gravelly 
bottom.  It  has  a  summer  temperature  of  about  58°  F.  and  is  a  good 
trout  stream. 

Alum  Creek  is  a  clear  stream  about  8  feet  wide  and  1  or  2  feet 
deep,  rising  in  the  Continental  Divide  opposite  the  head  of  Nez 
Perce  Creek  and  flowing  eastward  through  the  grassy  fields  of  Hayden 
Valley.  Its  bed  contains  much  white  alkali  from  the  hot  springs 
above,  and  there  is  a  perceptible  alkaline  taste  to  the  water,  which 
has  a  temperature  of  about  60°  F.  in  summer.  In  its  upper  course 
,it  has  some  hot  tributaries.  One  of  these  is  Violet  Creek,  with  a 
number  of  hot  springs  and  mudholes.  Still  another  fork  is  charged 
with  alum,  but  a  third  branch  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  redthroat 
trout  streams  in  the  park. 

YELLOWSTONE    RIVER    AND    BRANCHES    BELOW    THE    FALLS. 

About  15  miles  below  the  lake  the  river  plunges  into  a  deep  canyon 
over  two  vertical  falls  109  feet  and  308  feet  in  height.  This  remark- 
able canyon  is  more  than  20  miles  long,  with  nearly  perpendicular 
walls  800  to  1,100  feet  in  height.  The  current  below  the  falls  is 
swift  until  the  river  leaves  the  park. 

The  most  important  eastern  tributary  of  the  Yellowstone  Rive; 
is  Lamar  River.  It  is  a  large  stream,  sometimes  referred  to  as  the 
East  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone.  It  joins  the  Yellowstone  not  far 
below  Butte  Junction.  There  are  many  tributary  creeks  of  various 
sizes,  particularly  on  the  north  and  northeast  side.  The  principal 
of  these  are:  Miller,  Calfee,  Cache,  Soda  Butte,  joined  by  Amphi- 
theater and  Pebble  Creeks;  Slough  Creek,  the  largest  branch  of  which 
is  Buffalo  Creek.  On  the  west  side  the  creeks  are  smaller  than 
most  of  those  of  the  other  side,  the  principal  ones  being  Cold,  Willow, 
and  Timothy,  near  the  upper  course.  Chalcedony  Creek  is  farther 
down,  and  all  but  Cold  Creek  are  in  rather  deep  ravines  near  the 
river.  Cascade  Creek  is  a  clear  brook  a  few  feet  wide  which  enters 
the  Yellowstone  between  the  falls.  The  high,  nearly  vertical ' '  Crystal 
Falls"  (129  feet)  is  near  the  mouth  of  the  stream  and,  of  course, 
prevents  the  ascent  of  fishes.  Redthroat  trout  were  once  planted 
above  the  falls. 

G2806°— 21 2 


10  IT.    S.   BUREAU   or    FISHERIES. 

Lamar  River  and  most  of  its  tributaries  are  inhabited  by  native 
trout.  The  junction  of  Yellowstone  and  Lamar  Rivers  is  noted  for 
fine  fishing.  Soda  Butte  is  well  stocked  up  to  near  its  head,  where 
a  waterfall  keeps  the  fish  back.  According  to  Mr.  Dinsmore,  Fish 
Lake,  where  the  Bureau  of  Fisheries  has  for  a  number  of  years  col- 
lected native  trout  eggs  and  where  in  1921  a  small  hatchery  w^as 
established,  is  a  very  remarkable  w^ater,  with  an  area  of  only  75 
acres.  It  contains  a  dense  growth  of  vegetation,  which  in  the  late 
summer  blossoms  near  the  surface.  After  sundown  the  fish,  which 
average  about  2  pounds  each,  will  come  up  out  of  the  weeds  and 
take  gray-hackle  nies  almost  as  fast  as  they  can  be  placed  upon  the 
water. 

Slough  Creek  is  said  to  be  well  stocked  with  trout  up  to  the  lakes 
at  its  head,  only  one  of  which,  Lake  Abundance,  in  Montana,  con- 
tains trout. 

Hellroaring  Creek,  which  joins  the  Yellowstone  from  the  north 
below  the  mouth  of  Lamar  River,  is  abundantly  supplied  with  native 
trout  in  its  lower  part. 

The  tributaries  of  the  west  side  of  the  Yellowstone  worthy  of  men- 
tion all  enter  this  river  below  the  Grand  Canyon.  The  uppermost 
is  Antelope  Creek,  which  joins  the  river  not  far  from  the  mouth  of 
Towner  Creek.  It  contains  native  trout.  Tower  Creek,  for  almost 
its  w^hole  length,  is  hidden  in  dense  forests.  Its  current  is  swift, 
and  it  is  perhaps  the  coldest  stream  in  the  park,  the  summer  tempera- 
ture being  about  45°  F.  Carnelian  Creek  is  one  of  its  upper  branches. 
About  one-fourth  mile  from  its  mouth  the  creek  forms  a  singularly 
picturesque,  quite  vertical  fall  of  132  feet,  which  is  surrounded  by 
lofty  towers  of  volcanic  conglomerate.  Below  the  falls  is  a  deep 
canyon,  where  the  stream  is  about  10  feet  wide  and  shallow.  The 
waters  above  the  falls  were  barren  previous  to  the  introduction 
of  eastern  brook,  rainbow,  and  redthroat  trouts. 

The  lower  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone  in  the  park  are  Geode 
Creek,  Blacktail  Deer  Creek,  and  Gardiner  River.  Geode  Creek  is 
small.  Rainbow  trout  planted  in  it  in  1909  have  not  since  been 
observed.  Blacktail  Deer  Creek  is  a  clear,  rather  cold  (55°  F.) 
stream  running  largely  through  open  pastures,  with  willows  along 
its  course.  It  nas  no  canyons  or  falls.  Its  bottom  is  of  laval  gravel 
and  rocks,  with  some  water  weeds.  In  summer  it  is  usually  5  or  6 
feet  wide  by  1  or  2  feet  deep  and  is  well  stocked  wdth  native  red- 
thi'oat  trout  and  rainbow  trout.  Eastern  brook  trout  were  planted 
in  1912,  1913,  and  1914. 

GARDINER    RIVER    AND    ITS    BRANCHES. 

In  the  park  Gardiner  River  may  be  said  to  be  formed  by  two 
branches,  designated  on  the  maps  as  Lava  Creek  and  Gardiner  River, 
but  the  latter  is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the  ''Middle  Fork." 

Lava  Creek  is  a  clear,  mountain  stream  in  its  upper  course,  flowing 
through  evergreen  forests  on  the  north  side  of  tne  mountain  range. 
The  stream  is  normally  about  10  feet  wide  and  1  or  2  feet  deep. 
Toward  its  mouth  it  cuts  its  way  into  a  broad,  flat  shelf  of  lava,  form- 
ing two  falls  about  one-tenth  of  a  mile  apart.  The  upper  falls,  called 
Undine  Falls,  are  vertical  for  about  30  feet,  with  two  additional  leaps 
of  about  20  and  10  feet.     The  lower  falls  are  vertical  and  about  50 


FISHES   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK.  11 

feet  high.  Below  these  falls  the  stream  flows  through  a  highly 
picturesque  canyon,  joining  Gardiner  River  above  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs. 

Lupine  Creek  is  a  small  tributary  of  Lava  Creek,  entering  it  above 
the  falls.  Near  its  junction  with  Lava  Creek  this  creek  has  a  cascade 
about  100  iiM)t  high  callc^d  Wraith  Falls.  Notwithstanding  the  bar- 
rier offered  by  the  falls,  Dr.  Jordan  said  that  it  was  reported  on  good 
authority  that  small  trout  had  been  taken  in  Lava  Creek  above  the 
falls.  His  attention  was  called  to  a  possible  means  of  access  from 
Blacktail  Deer  Creek  to  Lava  Creek  in  times  of  high  water.  In  Lava 
and  Lupine  Creeks  the  only  trout  is  the  native  redthroat.  Below  the 
falls  native  redthroat  and  Loch  Leven  trouts  occur  in  Lava  Creek. 

Gardiner  River,  or  Middle  Fork,  rises  on  the  east  slope  of  the 
Gallatin  Mountains  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  park.  It  flows 
eastward,  southward,  then  abruptly  northward,  bending  around 
Bunsen  Peak  and  forming  a  deep  canyon,  toward  the  head  of  which 
are  Osprey  Falls.  Gardiner  Canyon  is  some  800  to  1,000  feet  deep, 
with  vertical  walls  of  lava,  basalt,  etc.,  and  in  grandeur  is  surpassed 
only  by  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Yellowstone.  Osprey  Falls  are 
about  150  feet  high  and  nearly  vertical.  The  principal  headwaters 
of  the  Gardiner  are  Fawn,  Panther,  and  Indian  Creeks,  which,  with 
their  branches,  unite  near  Seven-mile  Bridge.  Winter  and  Straight 
Creeks  unite  into  one  stream  and  join  Obsidian  Creek  to  form  Willow 
Park  Creek,  which  also  joins  the  Middle  Fork  near  Seven-mile  Bridge. 
Obsidian  Creek  originates  in  or  near  Twin  Lakes,  according  to  Jordan, 
and  some  of  its  branches  in  other  small  lakes,  notably  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  which  flows  into  Beaver  Lake.  At  first  the  creek  is  very 
small,  and  its  course  for  2  or  3  miles  is  full  of  hot  springs,  solfataras, 
boiling  mudholes,  and  various  similar  heated  areas.  Lower  down 
cold  springs  enter  the  stream,  and  at  Beaver  Lake  the  water  is  clear 
and  cold.  Beaver  Lake  is  a  shallow,  grassy  pond,  about  a  mile  long, 
formed  in  the  stream  by  the  beavers.  Eastern  brook  trout  are  re- 
ported as  plentiful,  but  the  rainbow  trout,  also  planted  there,  have 
never  been  heard  of.  Below  this  lake  the  creek  receives  the  clear, 
cold  waters  of  Winter  Creek  and  Straight  Creek. 

Winter  Creek  is  a  large  stream  which  heads  in  Christmas  Tree  Park 
at  the  foot  of  Mount  Holmes.  Straight  Ci'eek  flows  through  dense 
woods,  open  grass-grown  meadows,  and  narrow  canyons.  It  is  a 
very  pretty  stream,  with  many  riffles  and  deep  holes  behind  pros- 
trate logs,  and  wide,  shallow,  gravelly  reaches.  In  the  course  of 
Straight  Creek  is  Grizzly  Lake.  It  is  a  gem,  with  steep,  wooded 
banks,  clear,  cold  water,  with  shelving  bottom  and  quite  deep  center. 
After  their  junction  the  waters  of  these  creeks,  under  the  name  of 
Willow  Park  Creek,  flow  through  Willow  Park,  a  large  mountain 
meadow,  at  the  foot  of  which  it  meets  the  waters  of  Indian  Creek  and 
the  others  which  have  been  mentioned,  forming  the  Middle  Fork  of 
Gardiner  River.  Indian  Creek  is  a  clear,  cold  stream  similar  to  the 
Gardiner. 

All  of  the  aforementioned  creeks,  previously  barren,  now  teem  with 
eastern  brook  trout,  the  only  trout  occurring  in  them.  Jordan  re- 
ported that  Obsidian  Creek  with  Winter  Creek  was  one  of  the  best 
eastern  brook  trout  streams  in  the  park.  Its  summer  temperature 
is  about  50°  F.     Its  bottom  is  composed  of  laval  gravel,  lined  with 


12  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

grass,  al^ae,  and  other  water  plants  in  which  small  crustaceans  abound. 
The  senior  author  observed  that  Straight  Creek  teemed  with  brook 
trout  of  all  sizes  up  to  12  inches  long.  Hundreds,  mostly  about  6  or 
7  inches  lon^,  were  observed.  The  fish  were  the  most  beautifully 
colored  seen  in  the  park.  Males  only  3  or  4  inches  long  showed  the 
brilliant  coloration  of  the  fully  developed  fish  in  breeding  season. 
Females  6  inches  in  length  and  upward  had  well-developed  eggs. 
Grizzly  Lake  contains  very  large  brook  trout. 

Above  Osprey  Falls  the  Gardiner  is  a  clear,  cold  stream,  having  a 
temperature  of  about  50°  F.  The  bottom  is  composed  of  numerous 
stones  and  bowlders,  and  there  are  many  deep  holes.  This  previously 
barren  stretch  of  water  now  contains  the  introduced  eastern  brook, 
Loch  Leven,  brown,  and  rainbow  trouts.  About  halfway  down  from 
the  falls  to  the  junction  with  the  East  Fork  Glen  Creek  joins  the  river 
on  the  left  side.  Glen  Creek  has  been  called  the  West  Fork  of  the  Gardi- 
ner. It  rises  in  the  Sepulcher  Mountain  region  and  flows  southeast  to 
Swan  Lake  outlet,  thence  northeast,  joining  the  Gardiner  at  the  foot 
of  the  canyon.  It  is  a  small  stream,  only  5  or  6  feet  wide  and  1  or  2 
deep,  which  runs  mostly  through  open  meadows,  with  gravelly  and 
grassy  bottom.  Its  waters  are  very  cold,  about  48°  F.  in  summer. 
Glen  Creek  has  a  waterfall  some  70  feet  high,  known  as  Rustic  Falls, 
at  the  Golden  Gate  near  the  base  of  Bunsen  Peak.  A  small  lake  in 
the  vicinity  of  Sepulcher  Mountain  was  stocked  with  eastern  brook 
trout  in  1912,  but  the  results  are  as  yet  uncertain.  Below  the  falls 
the  deep  canyon  is  so  choked  with  bowlders  and  talus  that  fish  can  not 
ascend  it. 

Swan  Lake  is  a  small,  roundish  pond  about  a  half  mile  long,  with  a 
bottom  of  crumbled  lava.  While  the  water  near  shore  is  very  shal- 
low, the  depth  at  the  center  seems  considerable.  The  water  is  clear 
and  cold  and  abounds  with  insects  and  crustaceans. 

Eastern  brook  trout  abound  in  the  creek  above  the  falls,  but  those 
planted  in  Swan  Lake,  it  is  said,  seeni  to  have  left  the  lake  for  the  small 
streams,  as  they  have  not  been  found  in  the  lake.  Near  the  junction 
of  the  Gardiner  with  the  East  Branch  the  stream  is  rough  and  bowlder- 
strewn,  but  of  a  good  volume,  much  like  the  Gibbon  in  character. 
The  lower  course  of  the  Gardiner  below  the  falls  is  well  stocked  with 
native  redthroat  trout  and  introduced  eastern,  rainbow,  and  Loch 
Leven  trouts.     Indigenous  whitefish,  suckers,  and  minnows  also  occur. 

Below  Mammoth  Ilot  Springs  the  scalding  waters  of  those  springs 
discharge  through  '^Hot  Eiver"  into  the  Gardiner.  It  is  said  that  m 
winter  native  trout  are  especially  abundant  at  the  mouth  of  the 
stream. 

GIBBON    RIVER   ABOVE    FALLS,    GREBE    AND    RAINBOW   LAKES. 

Gibbon  River  issues  from  Grebe  Lake,  which  is  located  in  a  marshy 
area  in  the  highlands.  Grebe  Lake  is  about  a  mile  long  and  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  small  lakes  in  the  park.  It  was  stocked  with 
redthroat  trout  in  1912,  but  the  results  are  not  definitely  known. 

Approximately  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Grebe  Lake  is 
another  small  lake  visited  by  the  senior  author  and  Mr.  Dinsmore  in 
1919.  They  proposed  to  name  it  Rainbow  Lake.  The  lake  drains  a 
very  extensive  marshy  area  whose  arms  extend  far  into  the  hills, 
wi th  greatly  meandering,  clear,  cold  streams.     The  lake  has  a  gravelly 


FISHES   OF    THF   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL  PARK.  13 

bottom,  gently  sloping  shores,  and  a  deep  center.  At  several  points 
are  extensive  beds  of  yellow  water  lilies,  and  the  mouth  of  the  large 
main  affluent  is  covered  by  the  same  plants.  Large  rainbows  fre- 
quent the  lake  and  the  effluent,  and  smaller  fish  abound  in  all  the 
minor  streams. 

Gibbon  River  emerges  from  the  southeast  corner  of  Rainbow  Lake. 
About  a  mile  below  the  lake  are  hot  mineral  springs  which  discharge 
into  the  river,  and  for  a  mile  or  more  the  water  is  warm,  distinctly 
impregnated,  and  fishless.  Then  cold  springs  entering  the  river  from 
the  hillsides  render  the  stream  again  inhabitable  by  trout,  which  occur 
all  the  way  to  the  Upper  Falls  of  the  Gibbon.  These  falls  are  too  high 
to  permit  of  the  passage  of  fish  upward. 

irom  Virginia  Cascade  to  Norris  Station  the  river,  with  Solfatara 
Creek,  affords  fine  fishing  for  eastern  brook  trout.  Mr.  Dinsmore 
reports  that  on  July  26,  1919,  he  had  wonderful  fishing  for  this  species 
and  no  other  species  was  observed  in  tliis  section  of  the  river,  although 
rainbows  occur  above  Virginia  Cascade  and  in  the  Gibbon  below  Norris 
Station. 

Below  the  falls  Canyon  Creek,  entering  the  river  from  the  eastward, 
contains  redthroat  trout.  From  the  falls  to  the  junction  of  the  Gib- 
bon with  the  Madison  the  fish  are  the  same  as  those  occuring  in  the 
Madison  and  below  the  cascades  of  the  Firehole. 

MADISON    RIVER    AND    ITS    BRANCHES,    FIREHOLE    RIVER,    NEZ    PERCE 
CREEK,    LITTLE    FIREHOLE    RIVER,    ETC. 

Native  redthroat  trout,  whitefish,  and  grayling  are  abundant,  as 
are. also  the  introduced  Loch  Leven  and  brown  trouts  in  the  upper 
Madison. 

The  Firehole  River,  about  twice  the  size  of  the  Gibbon  River,  joins 
it  from  the  south.  This  stream  heads  just  west  of  Shoshone  Lake^ 
separated  from  it  and  from  the  head  of  Bechler  River  by  a  relatively 
low  divide,  according  to  Gannett.  It  flows  through  Madison  Lake, 
which  is  nearly  dry  in  summer,  but  below  it  is  reinforced  by  the 
fine,  clear  Spring  Creek  from  the  east.  In  its  upper  course  the 
Firehole,  like  Spring  Creek,  is  a  clear  and  very  cold  stream,  flowing 
through  dense  woods,  with  narrow  marshy  valleys  alternating  with 
small  canyons.  Keppler's  Cascades,  above  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin, 
is  a  series  of  very  picturesque  falls  probably  impassable  to  trout. 
Along  the  Firehole  are  the  most  noteworthy  of  the  geyser  basins,  and 
a  great  volume  of  hot  water  is  poured  into  it  without,  however,  ren- 
dering its  waters  at  any  point  really  warm  or  unfit  for  trout.  The 
principal  tributaries  are  Iron  Creek  and  Little  Firehole  River,  in  the 
Upper  Geyser  Basin.  At  the  lower  basin  the  Firehole  receives  the 
waters  of  Sentinel  Creek,  Fairy  Creek,  and  the  larger  and  more  im- 
portant Nez  Perce  Creek. 

Nez  Perce  Creek  comes  in  from  the  east,  is  nearly  half  as  large  as 
the  Firehole^  and  is  similar  in  character  and  temperature  of  the  water. 
It  is  fed  by  numerous  short  streams,  none  of  them  hot  and  most  of 
them  confined  to  a  narrow  canyon. 

Madison  River. — The  name  Madison  is  used  only  for  the  river  below 
the  junction  of  its  chief  tributaries,  the  Firehole  and  Gibbon  Rivers. 
The  principal  tributaries  of  the  Madison  as  thus  defined  join  the  river 


14  V.    S.    BUREAU   or   FISHERIES. 

beyond  the  park  boundary.  Named  in  order  from  the  south  to  north 
they  are  Cougar,  Gneiss,  and  Grayhng  Creeks.  Within  the  park 
Cougar  Creek  receives  the  waters  of  Maple  Creek,  the  principal  tribu- 
tary of  which  is  Duck  Creek.  These  upper  waters  are  inhabitated  by 
native  redthroat  trout.  Campanula  Creek  joins  Gneiss  Creek  beyond 
the  park  boundary.  It  also  contains  redthroat  trout,  as  do  the 
upper  waters  of  all  three  of  the  main  creeks  mentioned,  and  in  their 
lower  courses  they  have  whitefish  and  grayling  besides  native  trout. 
The  main  Madison  appears  to  contain  a  mixture  of  all  the  trouts 
that  occur  in  the  park,  as  well  as  whitefish  and  grayling. 

SNAKE    RIVER   DRAINAGE. 

Above  its  junction  with  Heart  Eiver  the  Snake  pursues  a  north- 
west course,  receiving  numerous  small  tributaries,  the  most  important 
of  which  is,  perhaps,  a  branch  which  heads  in  Mariposa  Lake.  Two 
relatively  large  tributaries  come  in  from  the  northeastward — Crooked 
and  Sickle  Creeks. 

Mariposa  Lake  is  a  small  body  of  water  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  park  about  a  mile  north  of  the  park  boundary.  It  is  said  to  be 
alive  with  native  redthroat  trout  and  to  afford  wonderful  fishing  for 
large  trout.  About  a  mile  beyond  the  boundary  Bridger  Lake  is 
another  remarkable  native  trout  water. 

Heart  Lake,  about  3|  miles  long  and  not  quite  2  miles  in  width, 
lies  in  a  deep  depression  at  the  eastern  foot  of  Mount  Sheridan. 
Near  the  head  of  the  lake  and  in  the  lake  are  numerous  geysers  and 
hot  springs.  Its  bottom  is  of  laval  gravel,  rather  shallow  near  the 
shore  but  becoming  deep  in  the  middle.  It  receives  some  small  tribu- 
taries, principal  of  which  are  Witch  and  Beaver  Creeks.  Heart  River, 
its  outlet,  just  below  the  lake  receives  a  comparatively  large  tributary 
known  as  Surprise  Creek. 

Witch  Creek  has  its  rise  2  or  3  miles  above  the  lake,  in  the  singular 
collection  of  geysers,  hot  springs,  and  steam  holes  known  as  Factory 
Hill.  Its  water  is  at  first  scalding  hot,  but  it  gradually  cools,  receiv- 
ing the  waters  of  one  cold  tributary  as  large  as  itself.  The  lower 
course  of  Witch  Creek  winds  through  grassy  meadows,  with  a  bottom 
of  fine  laval  gravel  and  sand.  The  creek  at  its  mouth  has  a  tempera- 
ture of  about  75°  F.  Native  redthroat  trout  are  numerous,  occurring 
most  commonly  about  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Besides  the  trout 
are  suckers,  chubs,  and  shiners,  and  the  blob,  or  fresh- water  sculpin, 
also  occurs.  There  is  plenty  of  fish  food  in  the  lake.  The  tempera- 
ture varies  according  to  the  nearness  to  hot  springs  and  geysers. 
Trout  are  said  not  to  ascend  Witch  Creek,  although  the  other  species 
do,  the  chubs  ascending  until  the  water  is  fairly  to  be  called  hot. 

Beyond  the  mouth  of  Heart  River  the  Snake  bends  to  the  south- 
ward, thence  later  to  the  westward,  receiving  a  number  of  tributaries, 
the  largest  being  Basin  Creek,  Red  Creek,  and  Forest  Creek  from  the 
north.  All  the  tributaries  flowing  directly  into  the  Snake  contain 
native  redthroat  trout. 

Lewis  River,  which  joins  the  Snake  just  within  the  park  boundary, 
is  the  outlet  for  the  waters  of  Shoshone  and  Lewis  Lakes. 


FISHES   OF    THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK.  15 

SHOSHONE    LAKE    AND    TRIBUTARIES. 

This  lake  has  a  length  of  about  6^^  miles  and  a  width  of  one-half  to 
4J  miles,  being  dumb-bell  shaped  or  constricted  in  the  middle.  Its 
area  is  about  12  square  miles.  Its  shores  are  mostly  bold,  rocky,  and 
densely  wooded,  the  eastern  shore  being  especially  abrupt,  and  the 
bottom  is  there  made  by  large  lava  bowlders.  On  the  other  side 
somewhat  different  conditions  obtain,  there  being  a  considerable 
growth  of  aquatic  vegetation.  The  lake  is  clearer  and  colder  than 
either  Yellowstone  Lake  or  Heart  Lake.  The  principal  tributaries 
are  Shoshone  Creek  at  the  northwest  corner  and  De  Lacy  Creek  at 
the  northeast  corner.  Moose  Creek  from  the  southward  enters  the 
southern  side  of  the  eastern  expansion  of  the  lake.  Shoshone  Lake 
is  connected  with  Lewis  Lake  at  the  southward  by  a  stream  of  still 
water  known  as  the  '^  Canal,"  about  3  miles  long. 

Lewis  Lake  occupies  a  rounded  basin  with  rather  low  banks.  It  is 
pear-shaped,  about  3  miles  long  by  2  miles  broad,  very  clear  and  cold, 
and  apparently  in  every  way  suited  for  trout.  Its  bold  shores  are 
heavily  wooded  and  without  any  large  tributary  streams.  A  few 
hot  springs  enter  it  on  the  western  side. 

Below  Lewis  Lake  Lewis  River  enters  a  deep  and  narrow  canyon. 
At  the  head  of  this  canyon  is  a  cascade  of  about  80  feet,  of  which  20 
feet  at  the  top  is  perpendicular.  Toward  the  end  of  the  canyon  and 
not  far  above  the  junction  with  the  Snake  is  another  cascade  some 
50  feet  in  height.  Owing  to  the  falls  in  Lewis  River  no  fish  were 
able  to  ascend  to  Lewis  and  Shoshone  Lakes,  which  were  therefore 
uninhabited  by  any  trouts  until  they  were  introduced. 

Loch  Leven  and  lake  trouts  are  numerous,  and  eastern  brook  trout 
abound  in  Shoshone  Creek.  Mr.  Clark  wrote  that  the  ^hoshone  and 
Lewis  Lake  region  was  probably  the  best  fishing  in  the  park: 

These  two  lakes  and  their  outlet,  Lewis  River,  are  full  of  native  trout  and  have 
been  stocked  with  Mackinaw  and  Loch  Leven  trout,  which  are  increasing  in  number 
and  size  most  successfully.  These  fish  will  not  rise  to  the  surface  and  take  the  fly 
as  do  the  regular  native  trout,  and  it  is  necessary  to  go  down  into  the  water  for  them. 
In  the  lakes  you  can  catch  them  by  trolling  if  you  can  find  the  particular  cove  where 
they  happen  to  be  running.  However,  in  spite  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  lake  trolling, 
there  is  one  place  where  you  can  troll  vnih  assurance  of  success,  and  that  is  the  canal 
between  Shoshone  and  Lewis  Lakes.  This  is  a  natural  body  of  water  with  little  or 
no  current  and  not  very  wide.  In  Lewis  River  just  below  Le"wls  Falls,  in  the  deep 
pools  where  the  eddies  are  covered  with  foam,  you  are  sure  to  find  good  fishing. 

Rainbow  trout  said  to  have  been  planted  in  De  Lacy  Creek  in 
1895  have  never  been  observed,  but  eastern  brook  trout  of  small 
size  are  numerous. 

FALLS    RIVER    AND    BECHLER    RIVER. 

Falls  River  pursues  a  sinuous  course  near  the  boundary  in  the 
southwestern  corner  of  the  park.  It  rises  by  two  branches,  one 
originating  in  a  marshy  area,  the  other  in  Beula  Lake,  near  which 
are  Herring  Lake  and  another  smaller  one,  both  mere  ponds,  and 
flows  to  the  eastward.  In  the  Birch  Hills  it  passes  through  a  short 
ravine,  flowing  over  two  falls.  Terraced  and  Rainbow  Falls,  the  latter 
being  the  most  westerly.  Before  joining  Bechler  River  it  receives  a 
considerable  creek.  Mountain  Ash  by  name,  which  flows  down  from 
the  south  side  of  Pitchstone  Plateau. 


16  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

Bechler  River  rises  on  the  northwest  side  of  Pitchstone  Plateau  and 
winds  to  the  southward  to  its  junction  with  Falls  River  just  north  of 
the  boundary.  It  passes  through  a  deep  gorge  in  which  are  several 
falls,  notably  Iris  Falls,  and  a  snort  distance  below  Colonnade  Falls. 
Below  these  falls  it  receives  several  tributaries,  the  most  important 
of  which  is  Boundary  Creek,  which  rises  across  the  border  and  flows 
southeastward  to  its  junction  with  Bechler  River. 

In  1920  A.  H.  Dinsmore  visited  this  region  and  reported  it  as 
one  of  the  most  beautiful,  if  not  the  most  beautiful,  of  the  valleys  in 
all  the  park — flat  as  a  floor,  abounding  in  wild  and  domesticated 
grasses,  meandered  by  fine,  clear  streams  in  wliich  native  trout  of 
good  size  may  be  taken  in  large  numbers.  At  the  head  of  the  valley, 
within  an  area  of  not  more  than  3  miles,  not  less  than  eight  streams 
fall  from  the  timbered  plateau  over  falls  and  cascades  which  rival 
any  in  the  park  excepting  the  Great  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone.  So 
close  to  the  valley  are  these  waterfalls  that  many  of  them  are  in  plain 
view  as  one  rides  through  it. 

Native  trout  are  abundant  in  Falls  River,  probably  up  as  far  as 
Rainbow  Falls,  and  in  Mountain  Ash  Creek  to  Union  Falls;  also  in 
all  the  waters  below  the  falls. 

FISHING  REGULATIONS. 

In  order  to  prevent  undue  destruction  of  fish  and  depletion  of  the 

Eark  waters,  certain  restrictions  have  become  necessary,  and  it  is 
elieved  that  anglers  generally  will  be  in  full  sympathy  with  the  pro- 
tective measures  that  the  park  authorities  find  it  desirable  to  adopt 
from  time  to  time.  The  general  policy  is  to  curtail  fishing  as  little  as 
may  be  compatible  with  the  maintenance  of  the  supply  and  to 
depend  largely  on  increased  fish-cultiKal  operations  to  prevent  the 
depletion  of  park  waters. 

Following  are  the  fishing  regulations  now  in  force: 

1.  rishing  with  nets,  seines,  traps,  or  by  the  use  of  drugs  or  explosives,  or  in  any 
other  way  than  with  hook  and  lines,  or  for  merchandise  or  profit,  is  y^rohibited. 

2.  Fishing  in  particular  waters  may  be  suspended  by  the  superintendent. 

3.  All  fish  hooked  less  than  8  inches  long  shall  be  carefully  handled  with  moist 
hands  and  returned  at  once  to  the  water,  if  not  seriously  injured.  Fish  retained  should 
be  killed. 

4.  Ten  fish  shall  constitute  the  limit  for  a  day's  catch  per  person  from  all  waters 
within  2  miles  of  the  main  belt-line  road  system.  In  the  case  of  other  waters  the 
superintendent  of  the  park  may  authorize  a  limit  of  not  exceeding  20  fish  for  a  day's 
catch  per  person . 

LIST  OF  FISHES. 

1.  Montana  Grayling  {TJiymallus  montanus). 

The  Montana  grayling,  which  originally  existed  only  in  tributaries 
of  the  Missouri  River  above  Great  Falls,  in  the  park  occurs  naturally 
in  the  Madison  and  Gallatin  Rivers  and  their  branches.  Grayling 
Creek  and  Fan  Creek,  and  in  the  Firehole  River  below  the  falls.  It 
is  reported  as  sometimes  abundant  at  the  junction  of  the  Gibbon  and 
Firehole  Rivers  and  is  said  to  ascend  in  summer  as  far  as  Firehole 
Falls.  It  is  the  principal  fish  in  the  south  fork  of  the  Madison  and 
occurs  also  in  the  backwater  of  the  Madison  at  the  dam.  This  is  a 
most  graceful  and  attractive  fish,  of  shapely  proportions  and  ex- 


FISHES   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL  PARK.  17 

quisite  coloration.  The  adult  averages  about  1  pound,  but  may 
attain  a  weight  of  4  pounds. 

The  grayling  prefers  swift,  clear,  pure  streams,  with  gravelly  or 
sandy  bottom.  It  is  quite  gregarious,  lying  in  schools  in  the  deeper 
pools,  in  plain  sight,  and  not,  like  the  trout,  concealed  under  bushes 
and  overhanging  banks.  In  search  of  food,  which  consists  prin- 
cipally of  insects  and  their  larvae,  it  occasionally  extends  its  range  to 
streams  strewn  with  bowlders  and  broken  rocks. 

Unlike  the  native  trout,  the  grayling  will  go  long  distances,  if 
necessary,  to  find  suitable  spawning  grounds.  It  spawns  in  April 
and  May  on  gravelly  shallows.  In  the  north  fork  of  the  Madison 
River,  where  the  water  is  comparatively  warm,  coming  from  the 
Firehole  River  in  the  park,  the  grayling  spawns  a  month  earlier  than 
in  any  other  waters  in  Montana. 

In  point  of  activity  it  even  excels  the  native  trout,  when  hooked 
breakmg  the  water  repeatedly  in  its  effort  to  escape,  which  the  trout 
seldom  does.  It  takes  the  artificial  fly  eagerly,  and  if  missed  at  the 
first  cast  will  rise  again  and  again  from  the  depths  of  the  pool,  whereas 


Fig.  1. — Montana  grayling. 

the  trout  will  seldom  rise  a  second  time  without  a  rest.  It  will  also 
take  various  baits,  such  as  caddis-fly  larvae,  grasshoppers,  and  worms. 
Among  the  recommended  flies  are  professor.  Lord  Baltimore,  queen 
of  the  water,  grizzly  king,  Henshall,  coachman,  and  various  gauze- 
winged  flies,  with  No.  10  and  12  hooks.  As  a  food  fish  it  is  even 
better  than  the  trout,  its  flesh  being  firm  and  flaky,  very  white,  and 
of  delicate  flavor.  The  grayling  is  artificially  propagated  in  Mon- 
tana by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Fisheries  and  the  State  fish 
commission. 

2.  Rocky  Mountain  Whitefish  {Coregonus  williamsoni) . 

The  Rocky  Mountain  whitefish  occurs  in  all  suitable  waters  on 
the  west  slope  of  the  Rockies  from  Utah  to  British  Columbia.  A 
scarcely,  if  at  all,  distinguishable  variety  or  subspecies  bearing  the 
name  of  Coregonus  williamsoni  cismontanus  is  found  in  certain  waters 
of  the  upper  Missouri  Basin.  In  some  localities  this  fish  is  miscalled 
grayling,*  with  which  it  should  not  be  confused,  as  it  is  a  very  differ- 
ent species,  and  there  seems  to  be  a  local  Yellowstone  River  name, 
the  phonetic  spelling  of  which  is  ''sterlet"  or  ''steret." 

*  Referring  to  the  fishing  in  the  canyon  of  Sunlight  Greek,  Clark  Fork,  Ralph  E.  Clark  probably  made 
this  mistake  in  writing  the  following:  "You  will  probably  first  catch  a  scaly  fish  which  looks  like' a  long 
sucker.    It  is  the  Montana  grayling,  and  there  are  many  down  there." 


18 


U.    S.    BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 


In  the  park  it  naturally  occurs  in  the  Yellowstone  River  below 
the  falls  as  far  up  as  Crevice  Gulch,  beyond  which  it  is  seldom  found, 
in  Madison  and  Gallatin  Rivers  below  the  falls,  and  has  been  reported 
also  from   the  junction   of  Firehole   and  Gibbon   Rivers.     At   the 

i' unction  of  Lewis  and  Snake  Rivers  ^^ grayling,"  or  '^mountain 
lerring,"  are  reported  as  taken  by  angers;  these  are  doubtless 
whitefish. 

Young  whitefish  2  to  5  inches  long  from  Montana  were  planted  in 
park  waters,  as  follows:  In  1889,  2,000  were  placed  in  Twin  Lakes 
and  980  in  Yellowstone  River  above  the  falls,  and  10,000  more  were 
planted  in  the  latter  place  in  1890.  It  is  considered  doubtful  if  any 
of  these  have  survived,  owing  to  the  number  and  size  of  voracious 
trout  in  the  Yellowstone  River  and  the  mineral  character  and  high 
temperature  of  Twin  Lakes. 

This  fish  prefers  clear,  cold  lakes  and  streams,  where  the  usual 
length  of  adults  is  about  a  foot,  although  it  is  known  to  have  attained 
a  weight  of  4  pounds.  The  cismontanus  form  is  essentially  a  river 
fish  rather  than  an  inhabitant  of  lakes  and  is  most  abundant  in  the 


Fig.  2.— Rocky  Mountain  whitefish. 

eddies  or  deeper  places  of  swift  streams.  It  spawns  in  late  fall  or 
early  winter.  This  is  a  slender,  graceful  fish,  readily  taking  the  arti- 
ficial fly  like  a  grayling  or  trout,  as  well  as  natural  baits,  such  as 
worms  and  insects  and  even  fresh  meat.  However,  owing  to  the 
smallness  of  its  mouth,  the  hook  should  be  no  larger  than  No.  10  or 
12,  and  when  hooked  the  fish  requires  careful  '^ playing^'  owing  to 
the  tenderness  of  the  mouth  parts.  It  is  a  game  fighter.  It  ranks 
high  as  a  panfish,  for,  when  in  condition,  it  is  of  surpassing  sweetness 
and  delicacy  of  flavor. 

3.  Redthroat  Trout-  Cutthroat  Trout;  Blackspotted  Trout 

{Salmo  lewisi). 

(See  frontispiece.) 

In  its  numerous  varietal,  subspecific,  or  specific  forms  the  red- 
throat,  cutthroat,  or  blackspotted  trout  is  of  extensive  distribution 
on  the  Pacific  slope.  In  the  park  a  form  designated  as  Salmo  lewisi 
is  found  naturally  in  both  upper  Snake  and  upper  Missouri  waters, 
having  doubtless  gained  access  to  the  latter  from  the  Snake  River 
bv  the  way  of  Two  Ocean  Pass,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  an  inter- 
change of  individuals  still  takes  place. 


FISHES   OF    THE   YEL3.0WST0NE    NATIONAL   PARK. 


19 


Yellowstone  Lake  and  Yellowstone  River  from  its  source  to  many 
miles  beyond  the  park  are  inhabited  bv  it.  The  abundance  of  trout 
above  the  falls  is  remarkable.  At  almost  any  time  as  one  passes 
along  fish  are  seen  breaking  water. 

Trout  are  known  to  naturally  occur  in  the  following  park  waters: 


Lower  Yellowstone  River. 
Sour  Creek. 
Trout  Creek. 
Alum  Creek. 
Antelope  Creek. 
Ivamar  River. 
.  Cold  Creek. 
Willow  Creek. 
Timothy  Creek.  , 
Miller  Creek. 
Calfee  Creek. 
Cache  Creek. 

Soda   Butte,    Pebble,    and   Amphi- 
theater Creeks. 
Slough    and    Buffalo    Creeks,    Lake 
Abundance,  etc. 
Hellroaring  Creek. 
'   Blacktail  Deer  Creek. 
Gardiner  River, 
Lava  and  Lupine  Creeks. 
Yellowstone  Lake. 
Beaver  dam  Creek. 
Rocky  Creek. 
Trail  Creek. 
Chipmunk  Creek. 
Riddle  Lake  and  Solution  Creek. 
Arnica  Creek  and  Beach  Lake. 
Columbine  Creek. 
Clear  Creek. 
Bear  Creek. 
Pelican  Creek. 
Upper  Yellowstone  River. 
Atlantic  Creek. 
Jay  Creek. 


Upper  Yellowstone  River-— Continued. 
Bridger  Lake  and  Creek. 
Falcon  Creek. 
Thoroughfare  Creek. 
Escarpment  Creek. 
Cliff  Creek. 
Lvnx  Creek. 
PJilox  Creek. 
Mountain  Creek. 
Badger  Creek. 
Trappers  Creek. 
Madison  River. 
Canyon  Creek. 
Cougar  Creek. 
Maple  Creek. 
Gneiss  Creek. 
Snake  River. 
Fox  Creek. 
Crooked  Creek. 
Sickle  Creek. 
Pacific  Creek. 
Heart  Lake  and  Heart  River. 

Witch  Creek. 

Beaver  Creek. 

Surprise  Creek. 
Basin  Creek. 

Colter,  Harebell,  and  Wolverine  Creeks. 
Red  Creek. 
Forest  Creek. 
Falls  River. 

Mountain  Ash  Creek. 

Bechler  River  and  tributaries  to  the 
canyon. 

Boundary  Creek  to  the  falls. 


Gibbon  River  has  no  trout  above  the  falls.  In  the  Firehole  River 
trout  occur  naturally  below  the  falls.  At  times  near  the  junction 
with  the  Madison  there  is  very  good  fishing. 

In  the  Gardiner  River  trout  are  abundant  from  the  foot  of  the  falls 
to  its  junction  with  the  Yellowstone.  Trout  have  not  been  seen  above 
Osprey  Falls. 

In  Soda  Butte  Creek  trout  are  numerous  until  obstructed  by  falls 
in  the  upper  part. 

Hellroaring  Creek  is  well  stocked  in  the  lower  part. 

In  Canyon  Creek  trout  abound  below  the  falls. 

It  is  stated  on  good  authority  that,  notwithstanding  the  barrier 
offered  by  Undine  Falls,  trout  occur  above  in  Lupine  and  Lava 
Creeks.  It  appears  that  in  1889  trout  obtained  from  Howard  Creek, 
Idaho,  were  planted  in  Lava  Creek.  However,  it  was  subsequently 
ascertained  that  trout  had  possible  access  to  this  locality  from 
Blacktail  Deer  Creek,  which  has  no  falls  and  was  abundantly  supplied 
with  trout. 

Trout  are  numerous  in  Heart  Lake  and,  according  to  A.  H.  Dins- 
more,  in  Lewis  River  below  the  falls. 


20  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

The  size  attained  by  trout  in  the  park  waters,  as  elsewhere,  varies 
much  with  locality  and  conditions.  Fish  of  over  4  pounds  have  been 
reported. 

This  trout  in  some  waters  is  a  highly  esteemed  game  fish  and  can 
be  taken  in  all  sorts  of  ways — spoon,  phantom,  natural  bait,  artificial 
fly,  etc.  Mary  Trowbridge  Townsend  (1.  c.)  writes  of  it  in  the  Fire- 
hole  River: 

The  father  of  the  Pacific  trout,  the  blackspotted  ' '  cutthroat "  with  the  scarlet  splotcli 
on  his  lower  jaw,  was  most  in  evidence,  with  long  symmetrical  body,  graduated  black 
spots  on  his  burnished  sides.  He  is  a  brave,  dashing  fighter,  often  leaping  salmon-like 
many  times  from  the  water  before  he  can  be  brought  to  creel.  We  found  him  feeding 
on  the  open  riffs  or  rising  on  the  clear  siu-face  of  some  sunlit  pool. 

Ralph  E.  Clark  wrote  (1.  c.)  that  ^Hhe  dark,  silvergray  trout  of 
the  West  seem  to  favor  flies  more  in  harmony  with  their  own  color- 
ing,'^  and  mentioned  the  gray  hackle,  brown  hackle,  coachman, 
grizzly  king,  Seth  Green,  black  gnat,  and  white  moth: 

The  junction  of  Yellowstone  and  Lamar  Rivers  is  noted  for  fine  fishing.  If  you  find 
the  waters  high,  swift,  and  roily,  you  will  probably  try  yoiu-  flies  in  vain.  Put  on  a 
spinner  or  a  little  spoon  and  watch  the  fish  rise  to  it,  almost  touch  it,  and  then  go 
away.  They  are  after  live  bait  and  won't  touch  anything  else.  The  grasshoppers  are 
abundant.  Catch  a  few,  bait  yoiu*  hook  carefully,  and  let  it  float  down  with  the 
ciu-rent.  A  large  trout  will  rise  to  it,  and  if  you  are  not  very  careful  he  will  steal  it 
from  you. 

This  is  an  excellent  food  fish  when  fresh  from  cool  waters,  but  the 
trout  from  some  parts  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  Upper  Yellowstone 
River,  and  Heart  Lake  are  generally  reputed  to  be  infested  with  a 
parasitic  worm.  In  his  book  previously  cited  in  the  list  of  publica- 
tions pertaining  to  the  fish  of  the  park,  Gen.  Chittenden  says : 

The  trout  of  Yellowstone  Lake  are  to  a  slight  degree  infected  with  a  parasitic 
disease  that  renders  them  unfit  for  eating.  Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  discover 
the  cause  of  this  condition  and  a  suitable  remedy  for  it,  but  so  far  without  success. 
An  explanation  sometimes  advanced  is  that  the  excessive  number  of  these  fish  and  the 
absence  of  sufficient  food  reduce  the  vitality  and  they  become  an  easy  prey  to  para- 
sites which  a  more  vigorous  constitution  would  throw  off.  Later  investigations  have 
shown  that  reports  of  the  prevalence  of  this  condition  were  much  exaggerated. 

The  parasite  referred  to  is  a  tapeworm,  of  which  only  the  larval  or 
intermediate  form  occurs  in  the  trout,  the  host  of  the  adult  being 
an  entirely  different  animal,  as  is  the  case  with  all  tapeworms  of  this 
kind.  Briery,  its  life  cycle  has  been  found  to  be  as  follows :  Starting 
with  the  egg  in  the  water,  it  develops  into  a  ciliated  embryo.  This 
passes  into  the  fish,  probably  by  way  of  the  mouth,  and  becomes 
established  and  assumes  the  form  usually  observed.  The  fish  is 
eaten  by  the  pelican,  and  in  the  intestinal  tract  of  that  bird  the 
parasite  attains  its  adult  and  reproductive  stage,  and  its  round  of 
fife  is  there  completed.  The  eggs  pass  into  the  water  and  a  new 
generation  is  begun. 

Gen.  Chittenden's  statement  that  the  parasite  renders  the  fish 
unfit  for  food  involves  a  matter  of  prejudice  rather  than  actual  unfit- 
ness for  food  or  danger  to  the  consumer.  Cooking  destroys  the 
vitaHty  of  the  worm,  and  it  may  be  said  that  this  particular  worm  is 
not  harmful  to  man.  Probably  no  one  would  knowingly  eat  an  in- 
fected fish,  but  if  he  should  there  would  be  absolutely  no  danger  in 
doing  so.  Beyond  doubt  the  presence  of  this  parasite  is  greatly 
exaggerated,  as  Gen.  Chittenden  says,   and  lean,   cadaverous,  un- 


FISHES   OF    THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK.  21 

sightly  trout,  the  condition  of  which  is  commonly  attributed  to  para- 
sitism, are  often  fish  which  are  run  down  from  breeding,  although  they 
may  carry  some  parasites.  There  is  scarcely  a  fish  that  swims  that 
is  not  more  or  less  infected  by  some  sort  of  parasitic  worm,  and  in 
this  respect  the  Yellowstone  fish  do  not  appear  to  be  worse  than  fish 
of  many  other  lakes  in  the  country. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  are  two  varieties  of  native  trout  in  the 
park,  the  larger  ones  of  the  Yellowstone,  with  bright  yellow  bellies, 
and  the  smaller  kind  more  silvery  in  appearance  and  exhibiting  much 
greater  activity  and  game  qualities,  or  which  Tower  Creek  fish  are 
examples.  Also  trout  of  Yellowstone  Lake  seem  to  differ  from  those 
of  Heart  and  Henry  Lakes  in  having  more  distinct  and  rather  less 
numerous  black  spots.  However,  in  this  respect  very  much  indi- 
vidual variation  is  shown. 

This  is  the  principal  fish  artificially  propagated  by  the  United 
States  Bureau  of  Fisheries  at  the  hatcheries  on  Yellowstone  Lake  and 
Soda  Butte  Creek.  From  three  to  twenty  million  eggs  are  taken 
annually.  After  the  local  park  waters  are  liberally  stocked  the  re- 
maining young  are  supplied  to  suitable  waters  in  the  adjoining 
States.  The  park,  however,  should  and  does  have  the  first  and 
miajor  claim  on  the  hatchery  output. 

4.  Rainbow  Trout  {Salmo  shasta). 

The  rainbow  trout  has  its  geographical  range  in  the  mountain 
streams  of  the  Coast  Range  and  the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains,  but  the  natural  abode  of  the  rainbow  trout  of 
fish-cultural  fame  is  the  McCloud  River,  Calif.  This  form,  now 
recognized  as  a  species  distinct  from  Salmo  irideus,  bears  the  name 
of  Salmo  shasta.  It  has  been  successfully  introduced  into  miariy 
streams  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  where  it  was  not 
previously  found. 

The  rainbow,  first  introduced  into  the  park  in  the  Gibbon  River 
in  1880  and  subsequently  planted  in  various  waters  and  on  numerous 
occasions,  has  become  one  of  the  most  abundant,  most  widely  dis- 
tributed, and  most  popular  of  the  park  fishes.  The  waters  stocked, 
in  addition  to  the  Gibbon  River  above  and  below  the  falls,  have 
included  the  Gardiner  River,  tributaries  of  Yellowstone  Lake,  and 
various  small  lakes. 

The  size  attained  by  the  rainbow  trout  varies  greatly  and  is  de- 
pendent upon  volume  of  water,  temperature,  food  supply,  etc. 
tinder  certain  conditions  it  reaches  an  extraordinary  size,  but  in 
the  ordinary  environment  6-pound  or  8-pound  fish  are  to  be  regarded 
as  large.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  fish  does  not  ovei-run 
2  pounds.     Its  food  is  composed  largely  of  insects. 

This  fish  now  abounds  in  the  Gibbon  River  both  above  and  below 
Virginia  Cascades,  and  good  fishing  is  found  at  times  at  the  junction 
with  the  Madison.  Regarding  this  stream  the  park  superintendent's 
report  for  1897  shows  that  the  fish  planted  above  the  cascades  seemed 
to  have  come  down  over  the  falls,  as  but  few  were  found  above,  while 
below  the  stream  was  well  stocked  to  its  junction  with  the  Firehole. 
In  the  Gibbon  River  above  the  falls  it  appears  that  the  supply  has 
been  greatly  depleted,  in  fact,  nearly  fished  out,  ownng  to  the  cir- 


22  U.    S.   BUREAU   or   FISHERIES.' 

cumstance  that  the  road  follows  the  stream  for  many  miles,  and 
there  must  have  been  thousands  of  anglers  fishing  there  in  1919^ 
according  to  the  senior  author's  notes  of  July,  1919.  Grebe  Lake, 
Blacktail  Deer  Creek,  Madison,  Firehole,  and  Little  Firehole  Rivers 
all  contain  rainbow  trout.  Referring  to  the  last-named  stream  in 
1897,  the  superintendent  of  the  park  wrote  that  several  good  speci- 
mens had  been  taken  near  its  source,  for  which  he  could  not  account, 
as  it  seemed  impossible  for  any  fish  to  ascend  the  lower  falls  of  the 
Little  Firehole.  A.  H.  Dinsmore  reports  the  fish  from  Tower  Creek 
above  the  falls. 

Many  persons  who  have  had  experience  in  angling  for  rainbow 
trout  say  it  is  one  of  the  best,  and  some  pronounce  it  the  very  best, 
of  the  trouts.  It  often  dashes  from  the  water  to  meet  the  descending 
fly  and  leaps  repeatedly  and  madly  when  hooked.  It  has  been  said 
that  it  takes  the  fly  so  readily  that  there  is  no  reason  for  resorting  to 
other  lures.  However,  its  activity  and  habits,  as  in  the  case  of  most 
fishes,  are  modified  more  or  less  by  its  surrounding  conditions.  The 
same  is  true  of  its  food  qualities,  which  ordinarily  are  very  good. 


Fig.  4. — Rainbow  trout. 

Mary  Trowbridge  Townsend  (1.  c.)  had  the  following  to  say  relative 
to  her  experience  with  the  rainbow  trout  in  Firehole  River: 

The  California  rainbow  trout  proved  true  to  his  reputation  as  absolutely  eccentric 
and  uncertain,  sometimes  greedily  taking  a  fly  and  again  refusing  to  be  tempted  by 
the  most  brilliant  array  of  a  carefully  stocked  book.  During  several  days'  fishing  we 
landed  some  small  ones,  none  weighing  over  2  pounds,  although  they  are  said  to  have 
outstripped  the  other  varieties  in  rapidity  of  growth,  and  tales  were  told  of  4-pounders 
landed  by  more  favored  anglers. 

5.  Scotch  Lake  Trout;  Loch  Leven  Trout  {Salmo  levenensis). 

This  trout  originated  in  Loch  Leven,  the  lake  made  famous  by 
Scott's  poem,  "The  Lady  of  the  Lake."  Typically  it  was  peculiar  to 
this  loch,  where  it  seldom  if  ever  attained  much  over  1  pound  in 
weight.  The  claim  has  been  made  that  it  is  merely  an  ontogenetic 
development  of  the  common  brown  trout,  and  that  when  transferred 
to  other  waters  its  progeny  can  not  always  be  distinguished  from  the 
common  brown  trout.  On  the  other  hand,  information  derived 
from  persons  familiar  with  Loch  Leven  indicates  that  both  this  trout 
and  the  brown  trout  exist  in  the  same  lake,  and  that  in  that  body  of 
water  they  can  always  be  distinguished. 


FISHES   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK.  23 

It  is  not  impossible  that  confusion  has  arisen  by  brown  trout  from 
that  lake  having  been  propagated  under  the  supposition  that  they 
were  Loch  Leven  trout.  There  are  parallel  instances  of  such  mistaken 
identity  in  this  country  in  respect  to  other  species,  and  so-called 
Loch  Leven  trout  have  been  propagated  for  a  long  time  in  this 
country.  In  the  early  years  the  progeny  of  Loch  Leven  eggs  could 
easily  be  distinguished  from  brown  trout  hatched  at  the  same  time, 
especially  w^hen  they  had  attained  a  few  inches  in  length.  Recently, 
however,  there  is  reason  to  suspect  that  many  of  the  so-called  Loch 
Leven  plants  have  been  brown  trout.  Be  that  as  it  may,  trout 
under  each  name  have  been  introduced  into  Yellowstone  Park  waters, 
and  there  are  records  of  both  having  been  subsequently  taken. 
The  first  plants  of  this  trout  in  the  park  were  made  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Firehole  River  in  1889.  The  next  year  Lewis  Lake  and 
Shoshone  Lake  were  stocked,  and  in  1903  further  plants  were  made 
in  tributaries  of  the  Firehole. 

The  Loch  Leven  trout  has  been  taken  in  the  following  park  waters, 
in  some  of  which  it  is  abundant:  Firehole  River  above  and  below  the 
cascades,  Madison,  Gibbon,  and  Gardiner  Rivers,  Shoshone  and  Lewis 


Fig.  5.— Scotch  lake  trout;  Loch  Leven  trout. 

Lakes  and  the  ''canal"  connecting  those  lakes,  upper  Snake  River 
waters.  Heron  Creek,  and  Duck  Lake,  near  the  Thumb  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake. 

Fish  of  large  size  and  in  great  abundance  were  found  in  Duck  Lake 
in  1919.  Landlocked  salmon  had  been  planted  in  this  lake  in  1908 
and  were  reported  to  have  survived  and  flourished,  but  none  have 
ever  been  authentically  identified,  and  it  seems  likely  that  the  Loch 
Leven  trout,  the  history  of  w^hose  introduction  into  this  lake  is  quite 
obscure,  have  been  mistaken  for  landlocked  salmon.  Hundreds  of 
fish  were  observed  jumping  at  times,  and  a  number  of  specimens  up 
to  4  pounds  in  weight  were  taken  in  the  summer  of  1919  after  a 
game  fight. 

6.  European  Brown  Trout;  Von  Behr  Trout  (Salmo  fario) . 

The  brown  trout  is  widely  distributed  in  continental  Europe  and 
the  British  Isles,  inhabiting  lakes  as  well  as  streams,  but  it  is  the 
''brook  trout"  of  the  continental  European  countries.  Under 
favorable  conditions  it  is  known  to  grow  to  over  20  pounds,  but  as  a 
true  brook  trout  it  seldom  registers  over  1  pound  in  weight. 

The  brown  trout  thrives  in  clear,  cold,  rapid  streams  and  at  the 
mouth  of  streams  tributary  to  lakes,  having  much  the  same  habits 


24  U.    S.   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

as  our  eastern  brook  trout.  It  is  by  some  regarded  highly  as  a  game 
fish,  taking  either  bait  or  artificial  fly.  The  best  fly  fishing  is  usually 
toward  night.  As  a  game  and  food  fish  it  is  in  its  prime  from  May  to 
September.  Its  flesh  is  very  agreeable  in  flavor.  Spawning  begins 
in  October. 

The  brown  trout  has  a  rather  extensive  distribution  in  the  park, 
although  only  a  single  plant  of  9,300  fish  was  made  in  Nez  rerce 
Creek  in  1890.  The  fish  now  inhabits  the  Madison,  Gibbon,  and  Fire- 
hole  Rivers.  In  the  last  named  it  is  found  from  its  junction  with  the 
Gibbon  to  Keppler  Cascades  and  is  particularly  numerous  in  Nez 
Perce  Creek,  Little  Firehole  River  below  Mystic  Falls,  and  Iron 
Creek.  In  the  main  streams  fish  have  been  taken  weighing  up  to  8 
pounds.     In  the  park,  as  elsewhere,  the  brown  trout  has  the  reputa- 


FiG.  6.— European  brown  trout;  Von  Behr  trout. 

tion  of  being  antagonistic  to  other  trouts  and  of  increasing  in  size 
and  abundance  at  the  expense  of  the  others. 

Mary  Trowbridge  Townsend,  in  her  interesting  article  on  trout 
fishing  in  the  park  (1.  c),  mentioned  a  brown  trout  from  the  Firehole 
River : 

A  good  4-poiinder,  and  unusual  marking,  large  yellow  spots  encircled  by  black, 
with  great  brilliancy  of  iridescent  color.  *  *  *  I  took  afterwards  several  of  the  same 
variety,  known  in  the  park  as  the  Von  Behr  trout,  and  which  I  have  since  found  to 
be  the  same  Salmofario,  the  veritable  trout  of  Izaak  Walton. 

7.  Lake  Trout;  Mackinaw  Trout   {Cristivomer  namaycush) . 

The  lake  trout,  otherwise  known  as  laker,  lunge,  to^ue,  Mackinaw 
trout,  etc.,  is  of  wide  northern  distribution.  In  British  America  it 
ranges  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coasts  and  northward  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  In  the  United  States  it  is  found  in  many  of  the  larger 
and  deeper  lakes  in  New  England  and  New  York,  in  the  Great  Lakes 
Basin,  and  in  a  few  localities  in  the  Western  States,  as  Montana  and 
Idaho.  It  occurs  also  in  Alaska.  It  has  also  been  spread  by  fish- 
cultural  operations  into  waters  where  it  did  not  previously  exist. 

The  lake  trout  owes  its  presence  in  the  park  to  two  plants  of  30,000 
and  12,000  fingerlings  in  Snoshone  Lake  and  Lewis  Lake,  respectively, 
in  1890.  The  fish  is  now  common  in  those  waters,  especially  around 
the  shores,  and  was  formerly  taken  in  large  quantities  to  supply  the 

f)ark  hotels.     It  is  found  also  in  the  ''canal"  connecting  the  two 
arge  lakes.     In  some  waters  it  attains  a  very  large  size.     Examples 
weighing  over  100  pounds  have  been  reportea  from  the  Great  Lakes, 


FISHES   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL  PARK.  25 

and  in  former  years  the  average  weight  of  the  fish  in  the  commercial 
fisheries  of  those  waters  was  stated  at  20  to  30  pounds.  At  this  time, 
however,  10  to  15  pounds  can  be  considered  large. 

Park  Ranger  Dewing  reports  that  in  1915  he  saw  a  lake  trout  that 
weighed  32  pounds  caught  in  Shoshone  Lake  by  a  soldier.  Mounted 
specimens  of  two  large  lake  trout  from  Shoshone  Lake  are  in  the 
lobby  at  Old  Faithful  Inn.  One  taken  July  13,  1912,  by  Pete  Ber- 
gendorf,  hotel  fisherman,  weighed  12  pounds,  the  other,  39  inches 
long,  weighed  21  pounds.  In  the  summer  of  1911  Howard  Eaton 
with  a  party  fished  in  Lewis  Lake  and  in  one  day  caught  200  pounds  of 
lake,  trout.  The  largest  fish  was  39^  inches  long  and  weighed  20 
pounds;  another  was  34  inches  long. 

According  to  A.  H.  Dinsmore,  as  early  as  1901  the  lake  trout  had 
spread  from  Lewis  Lake  and  become  abundant  in  Lewis  River  below 
the  upper  falls..  The  fish  has  been  reported  also  below  Idaho  Falls 
and  has  passed  up  through  the  tributary  coming  from  Jenny  Lake, 
in  which  water  it  occurs  in  numbers  about  equal  to  the  native  trout, 


Fig.  7.— Lake  trout;  Mackinaw  trout. 

and  specimens  are  recorded  from  the  Buffalo  Fork  of  the  Snake 
River. 

The  large  size  of  the  lake  trout  affords  its  chief  attraction  as  a 
game  fish,  for  it  is  not  ordinarily  a  very  active  fighter,  although  a 
powerful  antagonist.  It  is  usually  caught  by  deep  trolling,  but  is 
sometimes  found  at  the  surface  and  is  occasionally  taken  on  an  arti- 
ficial fly.  The  fish  may  be  caught  by  trolling  or  casting  with  artificial 
or  natural  baits. 

Opinions  differ  regarding  its  table  qualities,  and,  as  with  niost 
fishes,  much  depends  upon  how  it  is  prepared  and  cooked.  It  is  a 
very  oily  fish  and  often  has  an  unpleasant,  strong,  oily  flavor.  This 
may  be  obviated,  however,  by  removing  the  skin  before  the  fish  is 
cooked.  The  best  method  of  cooking  it  is  by  boiling,  serving  with 
mayonnaise  dressing  or  egg  sauce. 

Mr.  Clark  (1.  c.)  wrote  in  1908  that  the  lake  trout  were  plentiful  in 
Shoshone  Lake  and  Lewis  Lake  and  River,  and  that  they  could  be 
caught  in  the  canal  between  Shoshone  and  Lewis  Lakes  as  fast  as 
one  could  throw  in  a  trolling  spoon,  and  he  remarked  that  they  were 
large  and  fat.  On  August  6,  1919,  Mr.  Dinsmore  caught  a  4-pound 
fish  on  a  feathered  spinner,  in  the  canal  off  Point  of  Rocks. 


26  U.    S.    BUREAU    OF    FISHERIES. 

8.  Eastern  Brook  Trout;  Speckled  Trout  {Salvelinus  fontinalis) . 

The  natural  western  limit  of  this  brook  trout  in  the  United  States 
is  northeastern  Minnesota.  It  inhabits  lakes  as  well  as  streams  and 
varies  in  size  according  to  locality.  It  does  not  flourish  in  water 
temperature  over  68°  F.,  and  about  50°  F.  is  preferable.  The  largest 
trout  of  this  species  authentically  recorded  weighed  somewhat  over 
12^  pounds.  In  some  lakes  trout  of  5  or  6  pounds  are  not  uncom- 
mon, but  such  large  fish  are  seldom  found  in  streams  unless  the  streams 
are  tributary  to  fairly  large  lakes.  In  streams  of  moderate  size 
trout  of  1  or  2  pounds'  weight  are  to  be  considered  large,  and  in  most 
brooks  a  trout  of  one-half  or  three-fourths  pound  is  an  exception, 
at  least  in  recent  years.     Its  spawning  season  is  in  fall. 

Plants  of  eastern  brook  trout  have  been  made  by  the  Bureau  of 
Fisheries  in  various  park  waters,  and  the  fish  is  now  abundant  and 
widely  distributed.  It  is  known  to  occur  in  Gardiner  River  and  its 
tributaries  with  their  branches,  particularly  those  of  the  west  side: 
Glen,  Fawn,  Panther,  Indian,  Willow,  Winter,  Straight,  and  Obsidian 


Tig.  S.— Eastern  brook  trout;  speckled  trout. 

Creeks;  Swan,  Grizzly,  and  Beaver  Lakes;  Gibbon  and  Madison 
Rivers;  Solfatara  Creek;  Virginia  Meadows;  Firehole  River,  above 
Kepler  Cascades,  where,  according  to  the  1897  report  of  the  super- 
intendent of  the  park,  this  trout  was  very  abundant,  and  between 
its  junction  with  the  Gibbon  and  the  lower  falls;  Upper  Little  Fire- 
hole;  Upper  Nez  Perce  Creek,  but,  according  to  Park  Ranger  Dewing, 
not  in  lower  Nez  Perce.  According  to  Mr.  Dinsmore  it  is  found  in 
Juniper  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Upper  Nez  Perce,  and  it  occurs  in 
Lone  Star  Creek  and  Spring  Creek.  Tower  and  Carnelian  Creeks 
above  the  falls  contain  it,  according  to  Mr.  Dinsmore.  It  is  abundant 
in  Shoshone  Creek,  and  according  to  the  park  superintendent's  1897 
report  that  creek  was  alive  with  brook  trout  up  to  H  pounds  in 
weight.     Small  fish  are  found  in  lower  De  Lacy  Creek. 

The  brook  trout  is  one  of  the  most  noted  and  esteemed  of  American 
game  fishes,  but  there  must  be  something  besides  activity  that  makes 
it  such  a  general  favorite,  as  in  that  respect  it  is  surpassed  by  several 
others.  One  appealing  attribute  is  its  beauty  of  coloration,  and 
another  its  delicacy  of  flavor,  which  is  hardly  surpassed  by  any 
other  fish. 

The  brook  trout  may  be  taken  by  almost  any  method  known  to 
anglers.     In  open  streams  fly  fishing  is  the  method  par  excellence. 


FISHES   OF    THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL  PARK. 


27 


In  streams  where  overgrowth  prevents  fly  casting,  angleworms, 
grasshoppers,  or  almost  any  bait  will  be  taken  when  the  trout  is 
feeding.  Everything  will  be  disregarded  when  it  is  not  feeding. 
The  best  flies  to  use  in  any  body  of  water  must  be  learned  by  experi- 
ence, but  the  brown  hackle  is  seldom  a  failure  anywhere.  Professor, 
queen  of  the  water,  Montreal,  coachman,  and  many  others  are  usu- 
ally quite  successful.  Gauze-winged  flies  will  sometimes  succeed 
when  others  fail.  The  best  time  to  fish  for  this  trout  is  in  the  morning 
and  early  evening.  It  lurks  in  eddies  and  pools  and  at  the  foot  of 
rapids  or  under  overhanging  banks,  old  stumps,  or  rocks. 

9.  Yellow  Perch  (Perca  flavescens) . 

The  yellow  perch  has  a  wide  eastern  distribution.     It  is  common 
in  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  tributaries  of  the  upper  Mississippi  River 


Fig.  9.— Yellow  perch. 

and  in  coastwise  streams  and  lakes  from  Nova  Scotia  to  North 
Carolina. 

In  1919  this  fish  was  found  by  the  senior  author  to  abound  in 
Goose  and  Feather  Lakes  in  the  park.  Its  presence  there  is  appar- 
ently traceable  to  an  unofficial,  unauthorized  plant  made  many  years 
ago  by  a  Montana  citizen,  who  is  said  to  have  obtained  a  consignment 
of  yellow  perch  from  the  State  of  Washington,  into  which  State  the 
species  had  been  introduced  some  years  before. 

In  the  park  lakes  the  yellow  perch  attains  a  length  of  a  foot  and  is 
most  readily  caught  by  the  use  of  small  spinners  cast  from  shore  and 
rapidly  drawn  in.  Only  a  few  of  the  park  authorities  have  been 
aware  of  the  occurrence  of  this  fish  in  local  waters.  It  can  not  be 
regarded  as  a  desirable  addition  to  the  fish  life  of  the  park,  and  its 
spread  to  other  waters  than  those  now  inhabited  should  be  prevented. 
It  is  not  usually  reputed  to  be  a  game  fish,  and  its  voracious  habits 
make  it  a  menace  to  young  trout.  When  fresh  from  cold  water,  it  is 
one  of  the  best  of  pan  fishes,  being  firm-meated  and  of  delicious 
flavor. 


28 


U.    S.   BUREAU   or   FISHERIES. 

10.  Blob   {Cottus  punctulatits) . 


This  little  sculpin  belongs  in  the  Missouri  Basin  and  abounds  in 
some  of  the  waters  of  the  park.  It  has  been  reported  to  swarm  in  the 
grassy-bottom  portions  of  the  Madison  and  Gribbon  Rivers  and  in 
Canyon  Creek  and  to  be  numerous  in  the  Gibbon  above  the  falls.     It 


r:^^r7r^^-^ 


Fig.  10.— Blob. 

is  known  also  from  the  Firehole  below  the  falls.  The  presence  of  this 
fish  in  the  Gibbon  River  above  the  falls  is  a  freak  in  distribution  that 
has  not  been  explained.  The  blob  is  probably  justly  accused  of 
being  destructive  to  the  eggs  of  other  fishes  and  appears  to  be  of  little 
use,  unless  possibly  as  bait  for  large  trout.  It  can  be  taken  with  a 
small  baited  hook.     It  attains  a  length  of  5  inches. 

11.  LoNGNOSE  Sucker  {Catostomus  catostomus) . 

This  species  is  of  wide  natural  distribution  in  northern  waters,  its 
geographical  range  being  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  coasts  and 
into  the  Arctic  regions.  It  attains  a  length  of  18  inches  and  a  weight 
of  several  pounds.     Its  spawning  time  is  spring  and  early  summer 


Fig.  11.— Longnose  sucker. 


when  the  males  have  their  anal  fin  profusely  covered  with  tubercles 
and  the  side  of  the  body  with  a  broad  red  stripe  more  or  less  diffuse 
on  the  edges.  It  is  not  sought  as  a  game  fish,  out  sometimes  takes  a 
baited  hook  and  fights  fairly  well.  When  taken  from  cool  water 
and  cooked  at  once  it  is  a  good-flavored  pan  fish,  although  somewhat 
bony.  It  is  abundant  in  Yellowstone  and  Gardiner  Rivers  below 
the  Osprey,  Undine,  and  Rustic  Falls. 


FISHKS   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL  PARK.  29 

12.  RosYsiDE  Sucker  (Catostomus  ardens) . 

This  sucker  is  abundant  in  the  vSnake  River  Basin  above  Shoshone 
Falls.  It  is  reported  from  Heart  Lake  and  Witch  Creek  and  is 
said  to  ascend  the  latter  into  very  warm  water  flowing  from  Heart 
Lake  Geyser  Basin.     Like  the  longnose  sucker,  it  spawns  in  spring 


Fig.  12. — Rosyside  sucker. 

or  early  summer.  It  will  also  take  a  baited  hook  and  is  edible  but 
not  as  palatable  as  the  other  sucker.  In  Heart  Lake  and  Witch 
Creek  tne  alimentary  tract  of  this  sucker  is  infested  by  parasitic 
worms,  which,  although  offensive  to  the  eye,  do  not  render  the  fish 
harmful  as  food.  Affected  fish,  however,  are  likely  to  be  lean  and 
unpalatable. 

13.  Chub  (Leuciscus  lineatus). 

This  chub,  known  in  the  books  as  Utah  Lake  chub,  is  one  of  the 
most  widely  distributed  of  the  genus  and  abounds  in  the  Snake  River 
Basin  above  Shoshone  Falls;  also  in  Yellowstone  Lake  and  other 
places  in  the  park.     Chubs  from  cool  water  are  not  to  be  despised 


Fig.  13.— Chub. 

in  ^ame  and  food  qualities.  The  species  reaches  a  length  of  12  or 
15  mches  or  more  and  is  said  to  be  destructive  to  the  eggs  and  young 
of  trout.  No  worms  have  been  found  in  its  alimentary  canal.  It 
spawns  in  spring  and  early  summer. 

Dr.  Jordan  says:  ^^ Chubs  ascend  Witch  Creek  until  they  reach 
water  fairly  to  be  called  hot,  and  the  sucker  is  not  far  behind,"  en- 
during a  temperature  of  88°  F. 


30 


U.    S.   BUREAU   or   FISHERIES. 


14.  SiLVERsiDE  Minnow  {Leuciscus  Jiydrophlox) . 

This  little  fish  is  too  small  to  be  of  much  use  for  other  than  food 
or  bait  for  trout,  attaining  a  length  of  only  3  to  5  inches.     It  occurs 


Fig.  14. — Silverside  minnow. 

in  some  of  the  sources  of  the  Snake  River  in  the  park,  particularly 
Heart  Lake  and  Witch  Creek.     It  spawns  in  spring. 

15.  LoNGNOSE  Dace   (Rhinichthys  dulcis) . 

This  little  minnow,  attaining  a  maximum  length  of  only  about 
5  inches,  is  food  for  trout  and  useful  as  bait.     It  is  found  in  Heart 


Fig.  15.— Longnose  dace. 

Lake  and  Witch  Creek  and  also  in  Gardiner  River  below  Osprey, 
Undine,  and  Rustic  Falls. 

16.  Dusky  Dace  (Agosia  nuhila) . 

The  little  dusky  dace,  seldom  over  3|  inches  in  length,  is  extremely 
abundant  and  widely  distributed  in  the  Columbia  River  Basin.     In 


Fig.  16.— Dusky  dace. 


the  park  it  has  been  recorded  from  Heart  Lake  and  Witch  Creek. 
It  is  useful  as  food  for  larger  fishes  and  as  bait  for  trout. 


o 


